Browse Articles
Breeds
Browse 17 in-depth Breeds guides from Chicken Keeper Guide. Our editorial team researches and writes each one to give you clear, practical answers, current as of July 2026. The newest are shown first.
Wyandotte Chickens: Breed Guide for Backyard Farmers
Three of my Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets started laying at exactly 18 weeks, right in the middle of a …
Why Barred Rocks Are Perfect Backyard Layers
Barred Rocks are the chicken that converted me. I was a skeptical new keeper in 2015, convinced I wanted …
Sussex Chickens: The Backyard Keeper's Best Breed
Most people pick their first flock based on looks, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But here’s …
Why Maran Chickens Are Backyard Gold
Those eggs will change you. I don’t mean that in some overwrought way. I mean you’ll crack your …
Why ISA Brown Chickens Outperform Other Backyard Breeds
If you’ve spent any time on chicken forums or at a farm supply store in spring, you’ve almost …
Best Bantam Chicken Breeds For Small Backyards
Most people assume bantams are just miniature chickens for kids and small backyards, cute but not particularly …
Why Silkie Chickens Make Perfect Backyard Pets
Nobody warns you that Silkies are basically the golden retrievers of the chicken world until you’ve …
Golden Comets: The Egg-Laying Chicken Every Homesteader Needs
Most hatchery descriptions of Golden Comets read like they were written by someone who has never actually …
Best Heat Tolerant Chicken Breeds For Hot Climates
Most chicken keepers learn about heat tolerance the hard way. I did. Summer of 2017, central Texas, 107°F in …
Why Easter Egger Chickens Lay Colored Eggs
The first time I candled an egg from my Easter Egger pullet Juniper, I genuinely couldn’t tell if I was …
Rhode Island Reds: The Backyard Chicken Breed That Lays Year-Round
Walk into almost any farm store during chick days and ask which breed beginners should start with. …
Start Your Flock: 5 Hardy Chicken Breeds For Beginners
You ordered six “beginner-friendly” chicks from a hatchery, picked up your brooder supplies, and …
Best Dual-Purpose Chickens For Eggs And Meat
I had 17 chickens with nowhere to go. It was my third spring keeping birds, and I’d ordered 25 …
Why Orpington Chickens Win Over Backyard Flocks
The first time I held a Buff Orpington pullet, I thought someone had handed me a loaf of warm bread. She was …
Best Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds For Winter Coops
It’s February, 7 degrees outside, and you’re trudging through a foot of snow to check on your …
Top Egg Layers for Your Backyard Flock
If you’ve ever stood in front of a feed store bin of chicks, heart rate climbing, trying to remember …
The Calmest Chicken Breeds For Backyard Flocks
Picture this: you’re sitting in a lawn chair on a Saturday morning, coffee in hand, and a fluffy golden …